From Brilliant Event Planning…Surrounded by lush, green foliage and vibrant springtime blossoms, the bride’s family’s New Jersey estate not only served as the breathtaking backdrop for Sabrina and Matt’s wedding, it provided us ample inspiration for this sophisticated farm-to-table affair. We decided on a farm-to-table concept for their wedding because it perfectly combined the classic elegance of the home with the bounty of the surrounding countryside.

The Farm-to-Table Aspects: Each step of their incredible day was infused with farm-to-table touches. Escort cards were supported by farm animal figurines in gold and silver hues and the highlight of dinner was an entree of grass-fed beef from cows raised at the family’s estate. For the vegetarians on the guestlist, Sabrina’s favorite spaghetti from the famous Scarpetta restaurant was recreated. And, before dessert was served, the guests were served a lavish cheese plate with cheeses from all over the world. The wedding favors were jars of honey from the hives of the family estate – blended and jarred by local purveyors!

Interesting Personal Details: Sabrina’s mother has spent years collecting salt and pepper shakers so as a unique detail, we used a pair from her collection on each dining table. It was such a fun way to make a normally-mundane part of the table something meaningful and interesting. We were also lucky enough to have the family’s array of vintage cars for transportation throughout the wedding day…including a fabulous turquoise Thunderbird from the 1950s! The cake wasn’t your traditional wedding cake, but a personal favorite of the bride and groom – a banana cake from Billy’s Bakery!

Cultural Details: Matt and Sabrina have a deep connection to their cultural heritage, so I made certain to weave a variety of personal aspects into their wedding day design. Sabrina’s parents are from Australia and her father’s descendants hailed from Scotland, so several traditional Australian and Scottish touches were included. Besides a cocktail hour station featuring authentic Australian meat pies from The Tuck Shop, the florals throughout the wedding featured eucalyptus as a nod to the Land Down Under, and a Scottish bagpiper greeted guests on the front steps of their home as they arrived from the chapel. Additionally, the couple displayed a Korovai, a traditional Ukrainian bread that is decorated with small birds, in honor of Matt’s Ukrainian heritage. I incorporated the birds as a meaningful symbol into their reception with table numbers and a cake topper of two lovebirds.

Inside the Reception: Sabrina and Matt’s reception took place underneath a tent unlike any other. As guests stepped inside the tent and looked up they were surrounded by an abundance of elegantly draped fabric and stunning chandeliers. We selected walnut bentwood chairs as a nod to the Farm-to-Table aspect of the wedding, but kept everything else in the space very elegant – from a classic black-and-white dancefloor to the stunning floral designs by Blossom & Branch and delicately beaded crystal chargers. The interior color palette was light and airy in keeping with the sunny spring day and our overall color palette of seafoam, ivory and the palest pink.After guests finished their glasses of bubbly from the glamorous champagne tower, they watched the newly married couple share their first dance to the song “What A Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong and smoked cigars from the personal collection of Sabrina’s father. Fun Fact: A few months before the wedding day, Sabrina’s mother caught wind of a Southern wedding ritual in which the couple buries a bottle of bourbon at the location of the wedding one month before the big day to ward off any sign of rain. Much to the everyone’s delight, the bottle was unearthed the morning of their wedding on a gloriously sunny day.